The Clinical journal of pain
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Central sensitization (CS) contributes to patient variability when treating pain in endometriosis. Targeting this process may alleviate hyperalgesia and allodynia in women refractory to current treatments. Currently, there has been no review of targeted treatments for central sensitization in women with endometriosis. Therefore, this review aims to identify and summarize the findings of studies regarding the availability and efficacy of targeted treatments for CS in women with endometriosis. ⋯ Given the lack of evidence for any treatment, all require further research to determine treatment efficacy before options will be available clinically. There is a clear need for consistency in defining and identifying CS in study populations. This review identifies areas of interest, particularly surgery and nerve stimulation, from which future research must stem.